Progress steps

[Zantitrach]

Are you using specialist skills?

WWYW And Satisfaction/Nymeia's Wheel only

Are you using Ingenuity or ingenuity II (like you should be)? I'm pretty sure you're using it and forgetting that it affects progress.

No. Disclaimered that in OP.

It's probably from whistle stacks. When they're a multiple of 3, you get a bonus for progress and quality skills.

This... I didn't know, I thought the multiple of 3 was only for Satisfaction, multiple of 3 also gives you a progress/quality bonus?

I'm guessing it has to do with Whistle While You Work. I've never used that move, but it is the only thing I can think of.

The synth on the left, with the increase, shows you at what should be an IQ stack of 3. You start at 1, and Precise Touch added 2 to it, for that 3. The synth on the right, on the other hand, is only an IQ stack of 1. You also had two Goods on the left, and only one on the right (Tricks, Precise on the left, Tricks on the right). Those impact your WWYW stacks, which may also play a part. As I said, I've not used WWYW, so my understanding of the move is a bit sketchy, but I think that's why you're seeing what you're seeing.

Yup, guy above cleared it up. You were both right. Now that I know the issue I found:

"Increases the effectiveness of certain crafting actions when the stack size is a multiple of three." From my testing, this means that all progress actions have their efficiency increased by 50% (additively) when you have 3, 6 or 9 stacks of whistle. So Basic Synthesis goes from 100% efficiency to 150%, Careful Synthesis II from 120% to 170%, Rapid Synthesis from 250% to 300%, etc. This is sort of important to know so you don't accidentally finish a synth early, but apparently not important enough to be in the tooltip.

I literally just thought it was for Satisfaction. Booo......... Thanks guys! Won't early finish my crafts anymore T_T